Sliding-railway.



E. S. JENISON.

SLIDING RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED .nmza, 1 s1o.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

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E. S. JENISON.

SLIDING RAILWAY.

APPLIOATIOH Hum 121.29. 1910.

a Q RK x Q Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

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EDWARD S. JENISON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SLIDING-RAILWAY.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. JnNIsoN, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sliding-Railways, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which corresponding letters of reference in the different figures indicate like parts.

The object of my invention is to provide a sliding railway which shall be so constructed that a car or train may not only be operated thereon with safety, but started and moved with a minimum of frictional resistance.

I have discovered, as a result of carefu study and experiment, that the resistance to movement of one lubricated surface sliding upon another varies in proportion to the area of contact between the two; that said resistance is decreased as the load is increased per unit of area or as the carrying area is decreased until it becomes substantially constant; it being understood that these factors are modified to a considerable degree by the velocity of the moving body as well as by the temperature and lubricity of the lubricating medium.

My invention consists among other things in providing novel means for placing the load upon a freshly or operatively lubricated bearing surface for the purpose of starting it, for reducing and maintaining at a substantial minimum the frictional resistance to the moving body, by varying the area of the carrying or sliding surface, in providing special means for locking the sliding elements to the track, for covering and protecting the track and in novel means for applying resistance to brake the train.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a portion of a railway track and car embodying the features of my improvement, Fig. 2 is a trans verse sectional view of the main elements provided for lifting the car to enable the shoes to be lowered upon a newly lubricated surface, as well as those of the braking mechanism, Fig. 3 is an isometrical view of a portion thereof, Fig. 4 is a like view of one of the frictional shoe elements arranged to coact therewith, Fig. 5 is a like view of a portion of the pneumatic tube mechanism forming a feature of the brake, and lifting Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 29, 1910.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911. Serial No. 540,804.

. shown, Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the adjustable shoe sect-ions, and the sliding cam-faced rod for controlling the bearing thereof, said view being taken upon the line 7, Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrow there shown, Fig. 8 is an isometrical view of one of the carrying shoe sections, Fig. 9 is a like view of one of said shoe sections, Fig. 10 is a bottom view of a shoe section showing one form of bearing surface, and Fig. 11 is a like view showing a modified form of bearing surface.

Referring to the drawings, 1, Fig. 1, represents a portion of a suitable framework to which is rigidly bolted a series of brackets 2, 8, to the former of which and its fellows is attached by means of bolts a metal plate 5, having an inwardly and laterally extended flange 6, preferably provided with a groove 7 upon its under face and adjacent to its edge to prevent moisture from passing along said face to the body 5. An L-shaped plate 8 is partially supported by means of the brackets 3, to which it is bolted. The body portion of said plate is arranged vertically and parallel to that of v the plate 5, while a horizontal part 9 is made of suflicient width to considerably overhang said part 5. A depending flange 10 is secured to the edge of the part 9 by means of screws. Interposed between the parts 5 and 8 is a metal member 11 preferably in the form in cross section of an I- beam, which is rigidly attached to the members 5 and 8 by means of bolts 12 and 13 passing through the three members; the heads of said bolts being countersunk in the plate 5, while the nuts let and 15 are upon the outside. The upper face of the member 11 constitutes the bottom of a groove, the side walls of which are the plates 5 and 8, said face forming a sliding surface for the shoe members hereinafter described.

A port-ion of the body of a car is shown at 16, Fig. 1, to the bottom of which upon each side is rigidly attached a longitudinal depending plate-beam 17. These beams are rigidly connected by means of transverse vertical plates 18, having flanges 19 formed thereon at right anglesthereto. Rigidly attached to the beam-plates 17 by means of bolts 20, are longitudinal supporting shoes generally designated by 21, between which and each of the plates 17, is interposed spacing plates 22, 23 through which the bolts 20 are passed in addition to the bolts 24:; both sets of bolts being extended through the flanges 19 of the cross-plates 18. The carrying brackets 21., shown also in Fig. 8, correspond substantially to the length of the car and each is provided with a laterally extended portion 25, beneath which is formed a relatively large longitudinal groove 26, and a smaller parallel groove 27 A bar 23, Figs. 1 and 7, having a length corresponding substantially to that of the carrying bracket 21, is placed loosely beneath and in engagement with the bearing faces 29 and 30 of the latter, see Fig. 8, said bar having a narrow longitudinal flange 31, Fig. 1, upon its upper edge adapted to fit loosely within the groove 27. Said bar is grooved longitudinally upon its under face, and is provided with a series of oil-holes 32, Fig. 1, throughout its length for the purpose hereinafter stated. A series of shoe-sections generally designated by 33 and 34 respectively, Figs. 1, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, are placed beneath the slide-bar 23 and arranged to rest directly upon the upper face of the track member 11. Said sections are placed end to end and are arranged to alternate with each other as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, throughout the length of the main carrying bracket 21. Said sectional shoes are intended to have a free vertical movement independently of each other while at the same time provision is made for locking them to the carrying bracket, so as not only to be moved therewith, but to be lifted from the bearing; surface when the main carrying bracket is lifted for the purpose hereinafter stated. In order to accomplish this result, each sectional shoe is provided with upwardly projecting side flanges 35, Figs. 1, G and 9, which are identical in each section and each of which is provided ith notches 36, Fig. 9, extending downwardly from the upper edge so as to receive projec tions 37, Figs. 6 and 8, extending outwardly from the part 25 of the main carrying bracket. Cavities 38, Figs. 1 and 8, are formed between the projections 37 in theupper face of the carrying bracket, from the inner ends of which are projected wires 39 adapted to enter holes 40, Figs. 6 and 9, formed in the flanges 35 of the several sections. Said wires are spring tempered to enable them to yield with the slight vertical movement of the sections, and at the same time to lift said sections when the carrying brackets are lifted. The lower face of the sliding bar 28, Figs. 1 and 7, is provided with bearing surfaces 41, upon opposite sides of the central groove, which are located to conform to the respective positions of al ternate shoe-sections as clearly shown in Fig.

7, each bearing surface being inclined at oppositc ends as shown at 12, in said last named figure. Bearing surfaces 13, Fig. 9, are also formed upon the upper face of each shoe section, which surfaces are inclined at the respective ends as shown at 44:, Figs. 7 and 9. A longitudinal groove 45 is formed between the bearing surfaces 43, in which groove is located a series of perforations d6, for passage of oil, also shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

Formed upon the bottom of the shoe-sections are a series of bearing surfaces 17, preferably of circular contour and extending across the entire width of the shoe, while upon the sections 3st are a series of smaller bearing surfaces 48, arranged by preference in a line extending from end to end diagonally across the shoe-section. The bearing surfaces of each alternate sect-ion are intended to rest upon the surface of the part 11 and are adapted to be shifted at will by the longitudinal movement of the shifting bar 28, which may be actuated by means of a lever, or otherwise, a distance corresponding to the length of one of said shoe-sections. In practice I prefer to employ compressed air to accomplish this result. In Fig. 6 a cylinder 49 having induction pipes 50 and 51 connected with a source of compressed air, is shown at one end of the car. A piston having a piston-rod 52, is located in said cylinder; said piston rod being connected by means of a rod 53 to the shifting rod 23. Air being admitted to one side of the piston, causes the rod 23 to be moved into the position shown in Fig. 7 with the parts 11 resting upon the shoe-sections 34, thereby enabling the weight of the car to be borne by said sections, while the sections 33 lie beneath the thin portions of the bar and hence are free to be lifted from the track surface. A reversal of the piston serves to shift the parts 41-1 to bear upon the sections 33 while the sections 34 are free. The object of the inclined. portions 12 and ll upon the shifting bar and sections respectively, beingto facilitate this shift.

The track groove, which is covered and protected by the overhanging flange 9, is lubricated with oil throughout its length which oil, as the shoes slide along, is forced into and through the longitudinal groove 26 of the main carrying bracket and thence through the openings in the shifting bar and shoesections, to the track, which may thus be kept at all times thoroughly lubricated. The object of the shifting shoe-sections is to enable one set, viz., those having the smaller bearing areas, to be lifted from the track, and the other to be lowered upon a newly lubricated surface to which the load may be transferred to enable the car to be easily started. A further object is to vary the bearing area for different speeds, a compar-- atively large area being required for slow and a smaller one for higher speeds. When the car stands upon the track for a moment the bearing surfaces sink through the lubricant and contact directly with the unlubricated metal; thus rendering it impracticable to start the car because it rests upon the unlubricated surface. But while the car is kept in motion, even at a slow speed, it is easily actuated because the oil cannot escape from between the bearing surfaces and the track quickly enough to enable the two metal surfaces to meet, and hence the shoes are caused to move constantly upon lubricated surfaces.

Having thus described the track and shoe mechanism, I will now consider the means for lifting and lowering the car to enable the load to be transferred from a non-lubricated surface to a newly lubricated surface, which constitutes the most important fea ture of my invention, and in connection with which I will describe the braking mechanism and means for propelling the car.

The bracket 23, Figs, 1, 2 and 3, is eXtend ed above the part 9 and is provided with a horizontal portion 54, also shown in Fig. 6, of substantially the same width as the part 9. Beneath the part 54': is located a series of sectional brake-shoes 55, each of which is provided with an upturned flange 56 upon its outer edge. A series of pins 57 are arranged to project from the inner edge of the shoe into elongated openings 58, formed in the vertical wall of the bracket, Figs. 3 and 4. Bores 59, Fig. 2, are also formed in said brake-shoes for the reception of wire springs 60 which project laterally from the inner face of the bracket. The under face of each of said brake-shoes is intended, when in ac tion, to bear directly upon the upper surface of the part 9, but is normally held out of contact therewith by means of the springs 60.

A longitudinal metal shield, generally designated by 61, has its main vertical mem ber rigidly clamped to the outer face of the part 8 as shown in Fig. 1, by means of a series of clamping members 62 mounted upon the bolts 13. Said clamping members are provided with upwardly extended arms 63, between the upper ends of which and.

the body of said shield, is interposed wedges 64E. Said shield is provided with a top horizontal portion 65, also shown in Fig. 6, and an inner depending portion 66, which portions completely overhang the part 9 throughout the length of the tracks, from which they are sufficiently removed to provide fonthe intervention of the bracket 23 and the associated braking mechanism, thereby enabling the part 9 to be protected from accumulations of snow and ice. Located in the horizontal space or cavity between the part 5st of the bracket 23 and the brake-shoes 55 is a flexible pneumatic tube 67, Figs. 1, 2 and 5, formed from india-rubber and any well-known fabric, which tube corresponds to the length of the carrying bracket 23 and is closed at the respective ends by means of a hollow end cover 68, Figs. 5 and 6. One of said end covers is provided with a nipple 69, to which is connected a tube leading to a source of compressed air. WVhen air is forced into the tube 67 the brake-shoes 55 are caused thereby to be depressed against the action of the springs 60, into contact with the surface of the part 9. The extent of the pressure, which may be controlled by the will of the operator, may be varied so as to act merely as a brake, or, when desired, with sufficient force to lift the entire car so as to transfer the load from the carrying shoes 21 to the brake-shoes 55, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

For the purpose of propelling the car I prefer to provide a series of motors located beneath the car body with means for producing tractional action against the web of the track elements. In Fig. 1, I have indicated one of said motors 71, upon the armature shaft 72 of which is mounted in a horizontal plane a traction wheel 73 arranged to bear against the inner face of the web of the track-supporting element 5, immediately beneath the overhanging flange 6, which serves to protect said web from accumulating rain, snow and ice upon its surface. A spring 74, attached in any well known way to the frame of the car, enables the necessary yielding pressure to be -brought against the motor through the ac" tion of an adjusting screw 75 having locknuts 76 thereon.

The operation of my improved device is as follows: Assuming the track to be lubricated throughout its length and the car i to be at rest upon the shoe-sections 33, compressed air is admitted to the tube 67, which serves to lift the car, as well as aid shoe sections, from the track sufficiently to permit the oil in the track groove to flow beneath the bearing areas 4:7 of said shoe sections. Power is then applied to move the car, whereupon the air is released from the tubes 67 which permits the load to be shifted to the shoe sections 33 then resting upon the larger freshly lubricated areas, and the car is started with ease before the bearing parts 47 have time to squeeze the lubricant out and again rest upon unlubricated surfaces. As long as the car is kept in motion it may be moved with ease; and inasmuch as the hearing area required for high may be less than that for low speeds, the load may be shifted to the sections 34:, as soon'as the requisite speed is attained. This may be accomplished by shifting the bars 28 to the relainto the cylinder 49 in such a way as to act upon the piston therein to place the bar under tension, so that the wedge-like portions of the cams may act upon the sections 3% to force them down while releasing the sections Should it become necessary to stop the car, the motor is thrown out of action and the car or train allowed to slide until the speed is sufficiently reduced to enable the brakes to be applied. Then the air is slowly introduced to the tube 67, thereby gradually increasing the friction upon the brake-shoes until the entire load is borne thereby. The bar 28 can be then shifted to the position shown in Fig. 6, at which time it may be pushed back without resistance because the weight of the car is sustained by the brake-shoes.

The advantages of my invention are too obvious to require extended mention. It enables the weight of the car as well as the motive power to be greatly reduced, eliminates noise, permits great increase in speed and insures absolute safety against accident by derailment or similar causes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a sliding railway, the combination with a track adapted to be lubricated, of a car having slid able bearings mounted upon said track, and means for shifting said bearings to contact with freshly lubricated track surfaces.

2. I11 a sliding railway, the combination with a track adapted to be lubricated, of a car having a plurality of slidable bearings, and means for shifting the load from one bearing to another.

3. In a sliding railway, the combination with a track adapted to be lubricated, of a car having slidable bearings mounted upon said track, and means for raising and lowering said car to permit the bearings to descend upon adequately lubricated surfaces.

t. In a sliding railway, the combination with a track or way having lubricated and non-lubricated surfaces, of a car having two sets of sliding elements, one adapted to engage said lubricated and the other said nonlubricated surface, and means for shifting the load from one of said sets of sliding elements to the other.

5. The combination with a sliding railway car, of means for transferring the load from a lubricated to a non-lubricated surface to arrest the movement of the car.

6. The combination with a sliding railway car, of a lubricated way, a protecting shield above said way, and means for lifting the car to transfer the load from said lubricated way to said shield.

7. The combination with a sliding railway car, of lubricated and non-lubricated ways, slidable supports adapted to rest upon said non-lubricated ways, sliding supports having different bearing areas arranged to rest upon said lubricated ways, and means for shifting the load from said non-lubricated ways to any predetermined number of sliding supports upon said lubricated ways.

8. In a sliding railway, the combination of a car, lubricated and non-lubricated bearing surfaces, respectively, therefor, and means for arresting the movement of the car by shifting a portion of its weight from a lubricated to a non-lubricated surface.

9. In a sliding railway, the combination of a car, lubricated tracks, slidable bearing elements mounted upon said tracks and shields or covers arranged to extend entirely over said tracks, and slidable elements for locking the car to the track and for protecting the latter from the elements.

10. In a sliding railway, the combination of a car, lubricated tracks, slidable bearings mounted upon said tracks, shields or covers arranged to extend entirely over said tracks, and slidable bearings for locking the car to the track as well as for protecting the latter from the elements, slidable elements above and normally out of contact with said shields, and means for causing said sliding elements to be brought into frictional contact with said shields.

11. In a sliding railway having lubricated and nonlubricated ways respectively, the combination of a car, means for shifting the weight thereof from a lubricated to a nonlubricated surface for braking the car, and means for enhancing the capacity of the braking mechanism by increasing the friction upon the non-lubricated surfaces.

12. A sliding railway, in which is con1- bined a car mounted upon a lubricated way, a mot-or element, a substantially horizontally arranged friction wheel for engaging a friction surface for propelling the car, and means for shielding said friction surface from the action of the elements.

13. A sliding railway in which is combined a car, lubricated and non-lubricated ways, means for shifting the weight of the car from one to the other, and means for covering said respective ways to shield them.

from the action of the elements.

1a. A sliding railway, in which is combined a car with lubricated and non-lubricated ways, a shoe held normally out of contact therewith for engaging the latter, a rigid element located above said shoe throughout its length, a pneumatic tube interposed between them, and means for forcing a fluid into said tube to forcibly expand the same.

15. In a device of the class described, the combination with a main carrying bracket of sectional bearing shoes, a slidable element interposed between said supporting shoe and said bearlng, said element having cams or wedges thereon arranged to engage each ing Witnesses, this 27th day of January alternate bearing shoe, and means for shift-- 1910. ing said slidable element longitudinally to place the load upon one or another set of EDWARD JENISON' 5 bearing shoes. Witnesses:

In testlmon whereof I have sl ned th1s CARRIE E. JORDAN y b 7 specifioatlon 1n the presence of two subscrlb- D. H. FLETCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

